RIDGEFIELD
Small town ambiance with city-like offerings. An historic Main Street that always bustles with activity. Award-winning restaurants to fit every budget. Top-ranked schools. Community spirit. Soccer-filled Saturdays. Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra. Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art. Summer concerts in the park. Halloween Parade. Winter Stroll. Connecticut Magazine’s perennial #1 town 25,000 and under.
Those are just a few of the highlights I think of when someone asks me about Ridgefield CT, the town I have happily called home for more than 20 years.
Personal bias aside, Ridgefield truly is a special kind of place, even among other Fairfield County towns. It is a town with a population of just 24,000 +/- and yet it is a town that has it all, or certainly seems to. From major grocery stores to mom and pop stationers, all of the daily conveniences can be found here – it’s rare that you have to travel more than a few miles to get a last minute quart of milk or poster board for the project your child just remembered is due tomorrow.
Only an hour and a quarter from New York City by car, the atmosphere is distinctly New England with 18th and 19th century homes lining Main Street and a large park anchoring the center of town. Stonewalls, reminders of the town’s farming past, are found nearly everywhere. Stop lights and sidewalks are mostly limited to a few downtown blocks while one, two or even three acre lots predominate elsewhere.
Autumn brings brightly hued maples and walks on miles of hiking trails including those at Connectiuts only National Park, Weir Farm. Spring beckons golfers back to DHLY, the town’s acclaimed public golf course. Youngsters have Martin Park and the Graham Dickinson Skate Park in which to frolic while seniors find a wealth of activities at Founders Hall. There is an active Newcomers Club for those who are new to the area and even an International Group for those an ocean or more away from home.
No matter what brings you to Ridgefield it is easy to fall in love with the town, its people and a lifestyle that brings out the best in everyone.
